Where do you get the biggest value for your baseball entertainment dollar these days?
In my latest for Bleacher Report, I argue that the A’s put on the best show for their fans. Not only do they win more than they lose at home and more than 20% of their home games have been walk off victories, but you never know who is going to get the last hit.
You can read the entire article HERE.
I was watching the MLB Network‘s count down of the best moments of the 2000s. It was no surprise to me that the #1 moment was the Diamondback’s comeback win in the 9th inning of Game 7 of the 2001 World Series.
No matter what team you were rooting for, it was an unforgettable moment.
They showed the clip of Gonzalez leaping in the air.
Then the special cut to Gonzalez in the studio giving his memories of the moment.
What gem did they put into the special?
Gonzalez said “That’s something I’ll never forget.”
Um Luis… we figured that.
I think I can speak for everyone when I say that I was always confident that, barring any brain damage or lobotomy, you would have a pretty clear memory of that hit.
I can’t imagine ever sitting down with Luis and having him say to me “Hey Sully… do you remember the 2001 World Series?”
“Yeah, Luis. I remember it. You guys were playing the Yankees. It was post September 11th and everything.”
“I thought so. How did it end? For the life of me, I can’t remember.”
“Well Luis you were facing Mariano Rivera and blooped a single over Derek Jeter’s head to win one of the great all time moments in the history of baseball.”
“I did that?”
“Yes you did.”
“Man. I forgot all about that.”
If we have that conversation, then it is safe to say dementia has kicked in.
And if your memory is THAT bad, then let me remind you that you were going to give me $1.5 million.
In my latest series of entries, I want to record how each and every post season series ended.
I am doing a blog post for each and every team, listing which pitchers clinched the final out.
And I did a post on some of the more unusual endings, such as a series being clinched with a wild pitch or a runner caught stealing.
I felt it was necessary to list all of the series winning hits.
Sure every baseball fan has thought about how cool it would be to get the hit to win the World Series or close out a playoff series. These 24 are the only ones who can claim to have done it.
To be fair, only 23 are walk off hits. One was a sacrifice fly, but I included that as well.
There are a few massive home runs and one bunt.
So here they are. I list the batter, the game, the pitcher, who scored and what the final score was.
Larry Gardner
Game 8 1912 World Series
RBI Sacrifice Fly with one out in the bottom of the 10th.
Pitcher: Christy Mathewson
Scoring: Steve Yerkes
Final Score:
RED SOX 3, GIANTS 2
Earl McNeely
Game 7 1924 World Series
RBI double with 1 out in the bottom of the 12th inning.
Pitcher: Jack Bentley
Scoring: Muddy Ruel
Final Score:
SENATORS 4, GIANTS 3
Goose Goslin
Game 6 1935 World Series
RBI single with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th.
Pitcher: Larry French
Scoring: Mickey Cochrane
Final Score:
TIGERS 4, CUBS 3
Billy Martin
Game 6 1953 World Series
RBI single with one out in the bottom of the 9th.
Pitcher: Clem Lebine
Scoring: Hank Bauer
Final Score:
YANKEES 4, DODGERS 3
Bill Mazeroski
Game 7 1960 World Series
Home run to lead off the bottom of the 9th.
Pitcher: Ralph Terry
Scoring: Bill Mazeroski
Final Score:
PIRATES 10, YANKEES 9
RBI single with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th.
Pitcher: Tom Underwood
Scoring: Dave Concepcion
Final Score:
REDS 7, PHILLIES 6
Chris Chambliss
Game 5 1976 ALCS
Leadoff home run in the bottom of the 9th.
Pitcher: Mark Littell
Scoring: Chris Chambliss
Final Score:
YANKEES 7, ROYALS 6
RBI single with 2 outs in the bottom of the 10th.
Pitcher: Tug McGraw
Scoring: Ron Cey
Final Score:
DODGERS 4, PHILLIES 3
Gene Larkin
Game 7 1991 World Series
RBI single with 1 out in the bottom of the 10th.
Pitcher: Alejandro Pena
Scoring: Dan Gladden
Final Score:
TWINS 1, BRAVES 0
Francisco Cabrera
Game 7 1992 NLCS
2 run single with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th.
Pitcher: Stan Belinda
Scoring: David Justice and Sid Bream
Final Score:
BRAVES 3, PIRATES 2
Joe Carter
Game 6 1993 World Series
3 run home run with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th.
Pitcher: Mitch Williams.
Scoring: Rickey Henderson, Paul Molitor and Joe Carter
Final Score:
BLUE JAYS 8, PHILLIES 6
Edgar Martinez
Game 5 1995 Division Series
2 run double with no outs in the bottom of the 11th.
Pitcher: Jack McDowell
Scoring: Joey Cora and Ken Griffey Jr.
Final Score:
MARINERS 6, YANKEES 5
Edgar Renteria
Game 7 1997 World Series
RBI single with 2 outs in the bottom of the 11th.
Pitcher: Charles Nagy
Scoring: Craig Counsell
Final Score:
MARLINS 3, INDIANS 2
Todd Pratt
Game 4 1999 Division Series
Solo home run in the bottom of the 10th with 1 out.
Pitcher: Matt Mantei
Scoring: Todd Pratt
Final Score:
METS 4, DIAMONDBACKS 3
Carlos Guillen
Game 3 2000 AL Division Series
RBI bunt single with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th.
Pitcher: Keith Foulke
Scoring: Rickey Henderson
Final Score:
MARINERS 2, WHITE SOX 1
Tony Womack
Game 5 2001 NL Division Series
RBI single with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th.
Pitcher: Steve Kline
Scoring: Danny Bautista
Final Score:
DIAMONDBACKS 2, CARDINALS 1
Luis Gonzalez
Game 7 2001 World Series
RBI single with 1 out in the bottom of the 9th.
Pitcher: Mariano Rivera
Scoring: Jay Bell
Final Score:
DIAMONDBACKS 3, YANKEES 2
2 out RBI single.
Pitcher: Steve Kline
Scoring: David Bell
Final Score:
GIANTS 2, CARDINALS 1
Solo home run leading off the bottom of the 11th.
Pitcher: Tim Wakefield
Scoring: Aaron Boone
Final Score:
YANKEES 6, RED SOX 5
David Ortiz
Game 4 2004 AL Division Series
2 run home run with 2 outs in the bottom of the 10th.
Pitcher: Jarrod Washburn
Scoring: Pokey Reese and David Ortiz
Final Score:
RED SOX 8, ANGELS 6
Chris Burke
Game 4 2005 Division Series
Solo home run with 1 out in the bottom of the 18th.
Pitcher: Joey Devine
Scoring: Chris Burke
Final Score:
ASTROS 7, BRAVES 6
Magglio Ordonez
Game 4 2006 NLCS
3 run home run with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th
Pitcher: Huston Street
Scoring: Craig Monroe, Placido Polanco and Magglio Ordonez
Final Score:
TIGERS 6, ATHLETICS 3
Jed Lowrie
Game 4 2008 AL Division Series
RBI single with 2 outs in the bottom of the 9th.
Pitcher: Scot Shields
Scoring: Jason Bay
Final Score:
RED SOX 3, ANGELS 2
Nyjer Morgan
Game 5 2011 NL Division Series
RBI Single with 1 out in the bottom of the 10th.
Pitcher: J. J. Putz
Scoring: Carlos Gomez
Final Score:
BREWERS 3, DIAMONDBACKS 2
Most of the players listed are solid big leaguers but not superstars.
Only Bill Mazeroski and Goose Goslin were Hall of Famers (and Mazeroski’s inclusion in Cooperstown is one of the most controversial votes ever.)
Rickey Henderson crossed the plate twice on a series ending hit, but never as a member of the A’s. Surely when you think of Rickey, you think of him as a Toronto Blue Jay or a Seattle Mariner.
So why did I do this list?
Well in case anyone out there in the vast internet land happens to wonder out loud “I wonder who got a walk off hit to end a post season series” they would land on this post from your pal Sully.
And I will update it the next time there is a walk off hit to end a post season series.
As of now, Nyjer Morgan’s hit against the Diamondbacks is the last one.
Sully Baseball 
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